Deborah Shell knew she wanted to become a teacher at a young age.
In first and second grade, Shell had the opportunity to have her mother as her teacher while attending a school in Indianapolis. The experience left a deep impression with her, inspiring her to pursue the profession from a young age.
Shell, a preschool teacher at Eastview Pre-K Center, said she loves to watch her students become more confident in their learning.
“My most favorite part about teaching is listening to the kids and laughing with them,” Shell said. “There’s never a dull moment. We play lots of games. I laugh with them and listen to them when they are upset and crying.
“I love this age because they come and start the school year, and to see them expand and grow and how much they flourish in just that short year is amazing.”
A graduate of Anderson High School, Shell has taught for eight years, all of which have been with Anderson Community Schools. For the last six years, Shell has taught at Eastside Elementary School.
Shell said, with Eastview Pre-K Center opening for the first time this year, “it’s been a fun journey” experiencing all the “firsts” that come with a new school.
Shell frequently changes the presentation of her lessons in an effort to hold the students’ interest in the content.
“I love to make learning exciting,” Shell said. “One of my strengths is classroom management, which allows our day to run smoothly. I also believe I have a natural ability to connect with my students so they feel safe and supported.”
Ann Rolston, the lead teacher at Eastview, has known Shell for many years, having worked with her in a variety of settings at ACS. Rolston said Shell is an important person to have at Eastview.
“She’s magic,” Rolston said. “She is fun, she’s animated. She makes learning just magical, but she also walks a great fine line, and it’s really hard, to do all the fun, magical things, but to be very businesslike and have flawless procedures in her classroom.
“(Student) behaviors are always right where they need to be, and that’s a hard thing to do, but she does it very well.”
Shell said making a difference in the lives of her students is not something she takes lightly.
“I’m just excited to be a part of these kids’ lives at such a young age and see the impact,” Shell said. “You think like, ‘They won’t remember me,’ but even when I go and visit or I’m just out and about, just seeing those kids say hi and knowing I’ve made an impact in their life in some way is very important to me.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.